So, ball joints were done a year or two ago and I did it myself. I just did tie rods a couple months ago, everything hub wise has been replaced. So I figured no way I'd hear clunking! But it's started a couple weeks ago. I can only hear it at low speeds going over heavy bumps like roads that are full of potholes, rough driveways etc and I'd have to be going slow to hear it and usually with the window down. But I kept hearing a clunk when I was hitting big bumps. Started to wonder if maybe it could be cab mounts. But after tonight jacking the truck up by the frame, I think I found my culprit. Also I had to set my jack on a 12x12 solid wooden beam to make my 3 ton jack reach my frame rails lol, I started wiggling stuff with pry bars and tapping stuff with hammers and I found this at the front of my passenger leaf spring.


So I decided to put the pry bar between the two leaf springs and pry on it. Here's the before and after.



The bottom leaf spring can go down about an inch further than what I showed in this picture. It can also go left and right about a 1/2 inch or so. Only the outer leaf spring. The inner leaf spring is not moving at all and the bushing is tight on all of my leaf springs. It's just that it appears the outer leaf spring is no longer pinned to the inner leaf spring or the "upper" leaf spring.

What do I need to do to fix this? Do yall agree that this is definitely probably the clunking sound I hear? Turns out the driver side front is exactly the same as well. But it's only the front of the front leaf springs but both passenger and driver side look and move like this. I couldn't find anything else moving on the front end. Everything is tight. Should I just replace the leaf springs?

 

not sure if you can get replacement insulators or whatever they are called. that could be the cause of your noise. I don't think the 2 leafs are pinned together, just the plastic isolator attaches there
I had a very similar issue not long ago and it turned out to be my ubolts on one side coming loose. I guess I had an idiot moment and didn't crank them down good enough
Might be worth a look

sometimes it might be the shocks...with worn bushings

If that's the only issue, I would see if you can get replacement isolators or come up with your own version. your springs don't look worn out

 

I have a similar problem, and haven't had any luck finding the culprit. I've jacked it up several times, checked everything, brought it into several mechanics, all to no avail. As with your truck, almost everything up front is newish, including shocks.

I'm thinking it might be my sway bar bushings or links, but not sure. Now I'm curious about my leaf springs as well.

Following your thread. Good luck!

 

just thought of something you could try to see if that's the only cause. Take a heavy duty piece of rubber and somehow wedge it in there so it won't fall out and see if the noise goes away.

I forgot about sway bar bushings, links as Kintla mentioned. during my diag, I pulled mine off to eliminate it as a source

 

Good idea! I might have to try that!

I've got all new sway bar end links and bushings and sway bar bushings, new track bar bushings, I did everything when I did my 4x4 conversion. And the spring bushings were in good shape so I didn't mess with it.

Or another note I just got done doing a front end alignment I also tightened up my cheap auto parts store steering gear I may have over tightened it a little because the steering is slightly stiffer than usual and it kind of holds to the direction you turn the wheel to. I set my toe in to a 1/16-in in the front. I'm going to loosen the steering gear back up first and see if that's the cause before I double check the alignment.

 

Check the bushings on your Track Bar, they are know to wear out over time too.

 

They are new. All energy suspension polyurethane bushings. When I converted my truck to a 4x4 I replaced absolutely everything.

 

Does it do it while turning? I have a similar issue, but only when turning, and MOSTLY only on wet pavement. I've done the plastic insulator kit, and it did not help. However I know the source of my clunk, tracking down the fix is the problem. My leaf packs on the front are shifting. After a ton of reading on here and other forums, the only conclusion that I have come to thus far, is that BOTH sides of my front leaf springs are missing the "spring alignment bend clips"?. Ordered a set off of ATS springs for like $16, figured what could it hurt. You can see the old hole where the old clips used to be, and where the little retention nub thingy was sheared off. Should be here this weekend or monday. May be worth a look. I suck at suspension problems, and suspension stuff in general, so I do ALOT of research before I bust out the buckzooka.

edit to throw in what im talking about https://www.autoandtrucksprings.com/...pping-bt-74kc/

 

Poly bushings you say, maybe they're due for some grease. When poly gets dry it gets noisy, plus "Everything in life is better with the proper amount of lubrication".

 

The other year I replaced the insulator pads on those e99 leaf springs, with an updated Motorcraft kit…
Think I can find my records for the part number

Another member had posted the part number on here about the same time I did mine. Should have been 2020 I think

 

Wooohoooo I found it!!!!
1C3Z-5B302-AA

 

And the only place I could find them was Ebay.

 

hard to say where else may, lots of places say out of stock, maybe ford parts giant or tasca actually has them on hand.
I will check my sources on Monday

 

I'm almost 100% positive the clunk is coming from the front driver side and I can hear it especially when I turn to the right and hit a small bump at 10-15 mph.

So I layed on the ground after work with a pry bar checking everything. Here is a list of all the things that crossed my mind while looking for movement with the pry bar.

#1. I should probably get an adjustable track bar. I'm not sure how to know if the one my dad and I built is the right length. Should the track Bar be tight when the wheels are straight on flat ground? Anyway, I feel like I should get an adjustable one and get rid of the homemade one.

As some of you may remember, when I put this front axle from a wrecked truck on, it had a lift kit on it And the rear spring hanger was on the outside of the frame instead of the inside like it should and the front driver spring mount is bent from the wreck the parts truck was in. So I'm going to finally get the new PMF 3 inch lift hanger kit ordered and get the rear mounts moved inside the frame rail like they should be, (I Believe that's correct) and get the new front 3 inch lift hangers installed. That could fix my clunk. Who knows?

Next thing to address, the sway bar end link mounts on the frame look wrong on my truck. Are they supposed to be outside the frame instead? There is a centering tab sticking out wild inside the frame not touching anything that looks like it should be in the hole that is about an inch to the left. Anyone got a pic to show the end link mounts on the frame? Here is mine. I feel like this mount should be on the other side of truck on the outside of frame which would put that centering tab (I assume that's what it is) in that hole. I put all this stuff on the same way that it came off of the wrecked truck so there's no telling what was on incorrectly from the previous owner.



Also, my sway bar mounts that hold the bar in place are bent. Being as it's an e99 axle, the mount is the lower less desirable one. How should I fix this? While I'm fixing the bent mount I will grease the sway bar bushings.


U Bolts are tight, leaf spring bushings are good and tight, new ball joints and tie rods, hubs etc all new and tight. Shock mounts are tight, I put bushing in everything when putting this front end on so I don't see any bushings being bad already. The only thing that has any movement with a pry bar is that bottom leaf spring.

I think new spring hangers and shackles to get rid of the 2 piece add on lift kit crap is the first step. I noticed it is bent worse than I thought. Here is a picture.




Also on a side note I believe my radiator is starting to leak transmission fluid. It's not coming from where the hose threads in I don't think, it looks like it's coming from the fitting that goes into the radiator. You can kind of see a gap on the bottom of it and the whole fitting can move up and down a little bit in the radiator. The drain is not leaking from what I can tell.


and here is a pic of the add on crap lift kit that is held on with 1 big bolt where the leaf spring used to mount. It was like this when I got it.


I also like the idea about putting a rubber square in between the springs. I will give that a shot. Anything else I should do while I'm doing all this?

Oh, and my brake booster is leaking. BUt In good news the transmission is bone dry, and the block etc, is bone dry. No liquids! Score!

Still lost 2 quarts this 1200 miles after a oil change. Haven't rerouted my crank vent yet, still want to try that and see if oil consumption goes down.

 

Thanks! I'm gonna try to put a piece of rubber in there to mimick the pads and see if the clunk goes away or gets quieter. Thanks for the part number!